The Vedic Roots of Modern Cultural Phenomena

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The Vedic Roots of Modern Cultural Phenomena

Part I: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

 

The story of Harry Potter is a theological drama which portrays in simple

symbolic fashion a

metaphysical understanding which is both literal and

allegorical, and represents an initiatory teaching as practiced in the

ancient mystery schools of the near east (Egypt, Babylon, Rome, etc.) This

form of worship seeks to offer sacrifice and reverence to the Sun by

participation in and meditation upon its symbolic journey into death and

rebirth. This has the two-fold aspect of illustrating the theological

principle of the soul's separation from God and subsequent liberation from

the bondage of matter, as well as acknowledging the incarnation of the

Supreme Absolute in the material world in the form of the Sun which gives

life and light to all living beings.

This particular theological understanding derives itself from the Vedic

teaching originally practiced in the ancient world, and now found

predominantly in the Indian subcontinent. The Sun-God, according to the

Vedas, is a direct incarnation of the Supreme Lord Vishnu in the form of

Surya-Narayana and is the chief deity worshipped in the daily rituals

practiced for the purification of sins. The Sun occupies a particular place,

because while other of the principle planets also share worship and respect,

their presiding deities belong to the class of Devas, or "demigods,"

fantastically powerful celestial beings who rule over different aspects of

the material creation. These beings, although exalted, are subject to the

influence of material nature and inevitably succumb to the process of death

and transmigration, either after their lifespan ends, or for some at the

dissolution of the material universe, when the congregate elements of matter

are merged back into the body of Lord Vishnu lying on the Causal Ocean. The

Sun-God, Surya-Narayana, however, is considered a direct plenary expansion of

the Supreme Lord Vishnu, and thus his body is composed of Sat, Chit, and

Ananda (Eternity, Knowledge, and Bliss), and is unaffected by the gross

material elements including the subtle mind and intelligence which otherwise

encage all mortal beings.

Harry Potter is indeed, "Hari Pater" or "God the Father," and he struggles

and overcomes the power of darkness symbolized by Voldemort, or "Baal de

Mort" the Lord of Death. He does this, like Parsival, the fool of the Tarot,

by his innocence. He does not selfishly desire the Sorcerer's Stone, also

known as the Holy Graal. This desire is the root cause of our bondage,

improper desire which consists of the misidentification of the eternal soul

with the temporal material elements, and the subsequent attraction or

aversion for the products of material nature. Harry, however, is the symbol

of purity, the transcendent Sun-God Himself, and he grasps within his hand

that which is coveted by all men, the Graal, symbol of eternal life incarnate

in a material form, which can grant all the desires of a person who possesses

it but which holds no attraction for the truly wise. This stone symbolizes

principally spiritual perfection in and of itself, but also refers to an

actual object apparently sought after by the elite rulers of this world since

recorded time. This sorcerer's stone is also known as the philosopher's

stone, or cintamani in sanskrit, and legend has it was left here from a

higher world by celestial beings. This touchstone has various powers, the

most prominent being its power to transform base metals into gold, and to

produce the elixir of immortality so coveted throughout history. This drink

is also known as soma and is produced on different planets from a certain

plant by a specific process. It is consumed by various demigods and other

celestial beings and is generally not available within this planetary system

for human beings. It increases the power, life span, and energy of those who

drink it, and enhances their mystic powers while granting fantastic

exhilaration for an extensive time period. If drank by a mere human it would

grant him what seems to us conditioned beings as "immortality" by expanding

his lifespan to thousands of years and granting him tremendous power and

influence.

Harry goes through a process of initiation having its roots as well in the

ancient Vedic Dharma. He is marked on the forehead as a child, and the

marking not only a form of tilaka, or a marking signifying his initiation

into the mysteries of God, but also shows his symbolism as the Sun-God, for

the marking is a "Lightning Bolt" also known as the Sig Rune, which

symbolizes the Sun in the Elder Futhark Rune system, and comes down to our

recent history in the Solar cult society which captured the government of

Germany, marking their most dreaded troops with the twin Sig SS insignia, and

brandishing the Swastika, the ancient symbol of Good fortune (which has now

become distorted from recent experience) while they chanted "Sieg Heil", or

"Hail to the Sun."

Harry is taken from the muggles, also called sudras, the profane or

uninitiated, and sent to the ashrama of the wizard, or spiritual master,

where he is taught sorcery, for which he shows a natural aptitude. The

schools of the various students: Gryfindorf (Lion), Slytherin (Serpent),

Hufenpuf (Dragon), Ravenclaw (Eagle)-symbolize the four material elements or

motivating forces (air, earth, fire and water), with the exception of the

fifth, or ether, which merely acts as the accomodating space for the actions

of the others. They also apparently symbolize the predominant banners of the

major secret societies warring throughout history, and can also be taken to

represent the division of human society into the segments of priest or

intellectual class, administrative martial class, agricultural or mercantile

class, and laborers. According to ancient philosophers, these are the

natural divisions inherent within human society and the occupational duties

for which people are trained.

These multiple layers of symbolism are common in this genre of writings, and

are designed to illustrate many different aspects of reality at once, so a

story having its source within the movement of celestial bodies can be used

to describe specific material events while at the same time instructing the

initiated into the more profound spiritual truths.

Harry's name of Potter, as stated at the outset, illustrates the

multidimensional nature of the story, as the title Pater, or Father, was the

seventh and highest degree of initiation in the Persian cult of Mithras

practiced widely in the Roman empire. This position within the cult comes

down through the ages in the office of Pope within the Roman Catholic Church,

with the supreme Pontiff also adopting the Mithraic markings of the rank of

Pater, complete with the red hat, shepherd's staff, and ring worn by those

achieving this level within the order. Their worshipable deity was, of

course, the Sun-God, who was referred to as Mithras, a sanskrit word for the

same deity. The Persian Zend-Avesta, the sacred scripture of Zoroastrianism,

again displays the same coherent theological understanding coming from the

Vedas, as Mithras is stated therein to be separate and distinct from the

other demigods controlling material affairs. He is thought to be an

expansion of the Supreme Absolute God known as Ahura-Mazda, and as such has

the ability to accept the results of sacrifice on behalf of the One God.

The list of correspondences within the Harry Potter stories to

traditional metaphysical teachings from a wide variety of sources is

extensive, and my purpose in writing this article is only to touch upon the

basics of such an analysis so I can expand upon it in future articles and

delve into the symbolism inherent within many of our present-day artistic

endeavors. Anyone wishing to correspond can contact me at Starpromo.

Thank you,

Mark Sigmund Roman